It doesn’t look like much, just a small wooden grocery stall beside a busy road. But this microenterprise has kept Sunil Kumar free from slavery, now six years after his rescue.
Staying free is just as important as breaking free. That’s why the Free the Slaves Community Liberation Model stresses vocational training and small-business start-up assistance for trafficking survivors.
When our India partner organization MSEMVS helped Sunil escape bonded labor slavery in 2012, case workers noted that his family is poor and has no access to land for subsistence farming. This made him vulnerable to re-trafficking if he had to borrow money in an emergency.
The team determined that a small shop would be a sustainable way for Sunil to generate an income and build up some savings. They helped him construct the stall, and even do grassroots advertising to launch the business.
“I got new birth,” he says.
Learn more about our program in India here. See other stories of slavery survivors here.
Our work is possible because of generous contributions from Free the Slaves supporters just like you. Please make or renew your annual donation during our 2018 “It Starts With Freedom” year-end campaign. Thanks.
